Longer school day planned for Southeastern Vocational High School students

Friday

Jun 26, 2009 at 12:01 AMJun 26, 2009 at 12:39 PM

Southeastern Regional Technical Vocational High School plans to extend the school day until 4 p.m. in September, offering students 90 minutes of extra instruction in academics, enrichment, sports and remedial support.

Vicki-Ann Downing

Southeastern Regional Technical Vocational High School plans to extend the school day until 4 p.m. in September, offering students 90 minutes of extra instruction in academics, enrichment, sports and remedial support.

Buses will no longer leave the campus to bring students home at 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, said School Principal David Wheeler. No transportation will be provided to any student until 4 p.m., he said.

Students will be able to earn either academic or elective course credit for their participation, Wheeler said. The courses will be taught mostly by Southeastern teachers, pending negotiations with their union, the principal said.

Wheeler met Thursday night with parents to explain the change, which was first introduced to them about two weeks ago. About 50 parents attended the session. A second will be held at 6 tonight in the school cafeteria.

Wheeler said many factors led to the change. One of the most significant was the loss of $500,000 in state funding for transportation. Rather than eliminate late buses for athletics and extracurricular activities, administrators decided to lengthen the school day, Wheeler said.

But concern about keeping students engaged in their education and involved in after-school events was also a motivator. Wheeler said research shows that children who participate in clubs and sports are far more successful in school and college than those who do not.

The extra instruction time will also allow the school to help students at risk of failing academic classes or not passing MCAS, Wheeler said. During the first semester this year, 18 percent of all Southeastern students and 20 percent of all seniors failed a course, Wheeler said.

“We have to do a better job of engaging them,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler said parents will be allowed to have their children “opt-out” of the extra time if they are needed to baby-sit brothers and sisters or have part-time jobs, as long as they have their own transportation.

That issue raised most of the concerns among parents on Thursday.

Shawn Darcy of Mansfield said his son Ryan just completed a successful sophomore year at Southeastern after transferring from Mansfield High School. He is involved in martial arts, has a job and cares for younger siblings, Darcy said.

Because Darcy is a firefighter in Quincy and his wife a nurse in Boston, they have no way to get Ryan home at 2:30 without a bus, the father said.

“There really is only one concern,” Darcy said. “It’s the bus.”

Wheeler promised to meet with parents to attempt to resolve the issue. Some parents proposed hiring their own bus to take their children home at 2:30.

Jim Spano of Brockton was concerned that his daughter Nicole, 15, is already so busy with honors classes at Southeastern, and the extra work she does for her teachers, that the family does not have time to eat dinner together.

“It doesn’t work for us,” said Spano. “We have a very tough schedule as it is. We’re a little shocked at how this came out. There’s a lot of stress on our daughter. She needs her time to be a kid. She needs time to come home and decompress.”

Wheeler said about 30 teachers have expressed interest in teaching classes in yoga, boxing, Chinese, music and drama, among other subjects. Students involved in sports would be able to use them as their after-school elective.

Wheeler apologized for not informing parents about the planned change sooner.

“Change is not easy. Everything we do is not correct,” Wheeler said. “We’re trying to find a flexible program and system in which we can feel free to experiment.”